IOF Launches 2016 Global Awareness Campaign for World Osteoporosis Day

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) launches a call to action for this year's World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), celebrated annually worldwide on October 20th to promote awareness of osteoporosis.

Under its theme of Love Your Bones: Protect Your Future, WOD 2016 calls upon the general public to take early action to protect their bone and muscle health, and for health authorities and physicians to protect their communities' bone health.

"The progressive bone loss that occurs with osteoporosis may be invisible and painless, but this 'silent' disease results in fractures which cause pain, disability, and ultimately loss of independence or premature death. We therefore urge people with osteoporosis to protect themselves against fractures by adopting a bone-healthy lifestyle in tandem with appropriate medical treatment," states Prof. John Kanis, President IOF.

It is estimated that worldwide an osteoporotic fracture occurs every three seconds. From 50 years of age, one in three women and one in five men will suffer a fracture in their remaining lifetime. For women, the risk of hip fracture is higher than the risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer combined. Approximately 50% of people with one osteoporotic fracture will have another, with the risk of new fractures rising with each fracture.

Despite effective advances in diagnosis, assessment and interventions to reduce fracture risk, a minority of men and women actually receive treatment. It is estimated that only 10% of older women with fragility fractures actually receive osteoporosis therapy. In the EU, in 2010, out of 21.3 million people considered to be at a high risk for osteoporotic fractures, 12.3 million were left untreated.

IOF CEO Judy Stenmark comments, "The campaign urges individuals to take action for prevention, starting with the IOF One-Minute Osteoporosis Risk Test. It also calls upon physicians and health authorities to ensure assessment and treatment of high-risk patients in order to reduce the burden of osteoporotic fractures."